Joel Spence

Joel has been performing improvisational and sketch comedy at UCBTLA since 2005. He’s a member of the house team Sentimental Lady, as well as the improvised movie team Deep Focus, and Soundtrack. He’s also appeared in ASSSSCAT, America’s Best Comic, Dirtiest Sketch Contest, Cleanest Sketch (winner!), Gallery Of Evil, Fucked Up and Illegal Videos, and Freak Dance at UCBTLA. He studied improv under Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh, Seth Morris and many others.

Joel grew up in San Antonio, TX and went to S.M.U. in Dallas where he received a B.F.A. in Acting. After graduating he moved to Minnesota and co-founded The Hidden Theatre. In 1995 he joined Theatre de la Jeune Lune and by 2000 had performed in over 20 productions there. From 2000-01, Joel studied at l’Ecole Philippe Gaulier in London, England and wrote/ co-starred in One Night Only, a comedy that had a successful and critically acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Festival.

Joel has a recurring role as Detective Hodges in The Good Guys on Fox. He has also appeared on T.V. shows such as Big Love, Dirt, Reno 911, My Name Is Earl, Judging Amy, Andy Barker PI, Burn Notice, Rita Rocks, and The District. He appeared in such features as Freak Dance, Killing the Dream (Best Film – 2004 Temecula Film Festival) and Alleyball (Best Feature – SoCal Film Festival 2006).

Guest Appearances

Welcome back to The Black List Table Reads with Franklin Leonard. Popular demand called for it, and we listened: Each earmovie is now a single episode. Today, we return to our earmovie binge-a-thon with our third earmovie - Terrible Parents from screenwriter…

Welcome to the final installment of Terrible Parents on The Black List Table Reads! Last week, all seemed lost for our titular couple, as Lindsay thwarted their attempt at blackmail, and Howie was nearly seduced by an Oscar-winning thespian. Can they hang…

Terrible Parents by Kevin Oeser continues this week on The Black List Table Reads with Franklin Leonard. When we last left things, Stefanie and Lindsay were beating the the ever living hell out of each other on a cooperative ropes course and…

Welcome back to Black List Table Reads, as we continue with Terrible Parents. Last week, Howie and Stefanie finally won admission for their son Oliver to the ultra-exclusive private school Trailblazers. The only problem is Lindsay, a fellow Trailblazers parent and Stefanie's…

Welcome back to The Black List Table Reads, hosted by Franklin Leonard. This week we return to comedy with Terrible Parents from screenwriter Kevin Oeser. One Black List reader said of the script, “The dialogue is sharp and intelligent. The characters rapports…

Andy Daly, Pamela Murphy, and Joel Spence teach us about manners and the proper way to introduce yourself on this week's improv4humans with Matt Besser! You’ll also hear as they participate in Bring Your Dad In Day, confront a grandfather who loves…

The great Joey Cape of the seminal punk rock band Lagwagon joins Seth Morris, Joel Spence, and Eugene Cordero for a musical edition of improv4humans with Matt Besser! Accompanied by his experimental band (Chris Cresswell on guitar/vocals, Brian Wahlstrom on piano, and…

Colton Dunn, Mookie Blaiklock, and Joel Spence haunt Matt Besser as a couple of high ghosts on this week's bonus episode of improv4humans! Make sure to get the UCB Comedy Improv Manual, Matt Besser's new comedy album at mattbesser.com, and Dragoon's new album at dragoongalaxy.bandcamp.com!

Colton Dunn, Mookie Blaiklock, and Joel Spence join Matt Besser for a cumpletely hilarious episode of improv4humans. Tune in to hear these four humans talk about the nature of outsourcing art, why you should never dye your hair platinum blonde, and the…

Ron Funches, Mookie Blaiklock, Ben Siemon, and Joel Spence share what in The National Enquirer frightens them the most on today’s improv4humans! Read your copy of the Juggalo Times some other time and instead pour yourself a nice glass of milk as…

Seth Morris, Brian Huskey, and Joel Spence join Matt Besser to give you all the gift of improv this holiday season! Listen as they discuss the worst Christmas gifts they’ve received and for some improvised scenes on everything from straight edge punk…